Rebel landmines kill five Colombian soldiers (Colombia)

BOGOTA, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Five Colombian soldiers were killed and 10 others wounded when they hit landmines laid by rebels near the border with Venezuela, the army said on Saturday.

(03.05.2008)

The ambush, according to Army Commander Gen. Mario Montoya, occurred in Tibu, in the northeastern province of North Santander on Saturday, when troops tracked down a key rebel leader of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

The commander vowed to continue fighting the FARC, the largest guerrilla group in Colombia that has sought to topple the government during the past four decades. At least 680 municipalities out of 1,099 in Colombia are mined, according to official statistics.